[Sami] Lassi, the world's first smoothie

For over 4000 years, the people of the Punjab, in the Pakistan-India subcontinent, have partaken of the world’s earliest smoothie. 

In Punjab time passes slowly | Photo by Usman Ilyas

Punjab is the central part of Pakistan and India and the shared. Punj -aab  means “five rivers” and this great region has been the center of civilization and trade for the people of the Pakistan-India subcontinent for centuries. The fertile plains have provided everything from lentils to juicy mangoes and the great Thar desert has provided the best dates. The summers of the Punjab can soar up to 50 degrees Celsius with the “loo”, the searing hot summer winds keeping every living thing inside shade or shelter. The best way to relieve yourself in the sweltering heat is with a glass of chilled lassi. The drink is a simple concoction, made from plain yoghurt and chilled water. 

Lassi goes best with a lunch of hot and spicy Pakistani food such as the “nihari”, a stew of beef or lamb, cooked slowly and eaten with a heavy oven cooked bread called “kulcha”. Nihari originates from the Muslim royalty of medieval India, from where it spread to the entire subcontinent.In villages, the youghurt comes from milk prepared by your own cows (or buffaloes). The water is kept cool in clay pots called “matka” and drunk from a clay glass or bowl. The clay “matka” keeps the water at the exactly right temperature. Cool enough to make a refreshing drink that can be glugged down quickly.

Farmers, who work from daylight till dusk take a lunch break at noon. The lunch normally consists of a vegetable and meat curry, with thin “chappatti” bread and lassi. In olden times, the lassi was carried in a flask made of animal hide. It had to be consumed quickly or it would turn into cheese!In the cities, lassi shops are popular in the older part of the town. The medieval quarters of Pakistan’s city of Lahore is called the “Walled City” and you can find a small Lassi shop nestled among the winding streets. In the dusky evenings, you can sit under one of the many mahogany trees and sip a cool glass of lassi and watch the city come to life after a hot and humid afternoon, with young people and families going out to shop, eat or just take a walk in a park.

The Walled City gets its name from the fact that in the times of the great Mughals, the city was fortified with high walls and 13 gates provided entrance to the city. After the unsuccessful uprising against the British occupiers, the city was defortified and the most of the gates pulled down.

One of the best restaurants to savor rich Punjabi food with lassi is on the rooftop of Cuckoo’s Café, a restaurant built into an ancient spiraling block of buildings, at the edge of the Walled City. The rooftop provides guests with an exhilarating view of the Mughal era Badhsahi Mosque, the Lahore Fort and the Data Darbar, a shrine dedicated to the 11th century saint Ali Hajweri.

You can make your own lassi using the following:

Ingredients
. 1 glass chilled water
. Crushed ice (optional)
. Half a cup of plain youghurt
. A pinch of salt or sugar, as preferred

Instructions
Simply mix everything together and use an electric mixer to make a smoothie. Add crushed almonds, pistachios, cream, butter or even saffron to give it a unique taste. Some people like to add bananas or pineapple or mangoes to bring out a fruity taste.

Keep in mind a couple of glasses of lassi on a hot summer day could knock you out, so don’t drink and drive...

Sami Jan from Pakistan